(Radio Iowa) – The annual report on the state’s 15 community colleges is out. Department of Education Community Colleges Bureau Chief Amy Gieseke says enrollment this past year was more than 123-thousand students.
Gieseke says they have gradually recovered after enrollment dropped to around 116-thousand during the pandemic.
She says they are also seeing the number of credit hours taken come back.
Gieseke says there’s been changes in the types of degrees students are seeking.
The top program mirrors one of the biggest needs for workers in the state.
She says the number of degrees, diplomas, and certificates awarded continues to go up.
Gieske says more than 13 percent of the awards are in smaller degree types like certificates and diplomas versus the full associate degree.
The numbers show that 90 percent of community college students are Iowa residents, and just under 20 percent are considered full-time.
